Immigration: An Opportunity for the European Union

The debate in Europe on migration, and its impact on employment, is lively but often painfully misguided. Increasing unemployment and the euro crisis are fertile grounds for those who support closing the EU borders for migrants. Although many Europeans know that immigrants are needed in the economy, proposals to enhance worker mobility in the EU, or more open migration policies, stir up opinions. As witnessed in some recent elections, nationalist parties and certain European statesmen, have few scruples about exploiting these sentiments. They are in clear minority, but their assertive tones are often mistaken as voices of the majority. Closing the borders to protect national production and people from imports and competences from abroad have become a worrying undercurrent in many parts of the European Union.